Machine for guide-marking a plurality of etchable surfaces.



E. S. BEACH.-

MACHINE FOR GUIDE MARKING A PLURALITY 0F ETCHABLE SURFACES.

APPLICATION HLED FEB..27| I911.

Patented May 14, 1918.

as SHEETSSHEET I.

E. S. BEACH.

MACHINE FOR GUIDE MARKING A PLURALITY 0F ETCHABLE SURFACES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB,.27. 1917.

1,265,988. Patented May14,1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

I I I wagg E. S. BEACH. MACHINE FOR sum: MARKING A PLURALITY 0F ET'CHABLE sumczs.

APPLICATION FILED FEB: 2h 19!]- 1,265,988. Patented May14, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

' I/IVEN TOR UNITED STATES PATET EDWARD S. BEACH, OF RIDGEFIELD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR, BY- DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO IVIULTICOLCR INTAGLIO PRESS COMPANY, OF DOVER, DELAWARE,

A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

I/IACHINE FOR GUIDE-MARKING A PLUR-ALITY OF ETCHABLE SURFACES.

Application filed February 27, 1917.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD S. BEACH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ridgefield. in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in -Machines for Guide-Marking a Plurality of Etchable Surfaces, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a machine fo guide-marking etc-hable rolls on which photographically-sensitized carbon-tissue prints are to be transferred. The object of the invention is to obtain precision of location of guide or location marks on a series of such rolls, it being important that such guide or location marks shall exactly correspond to corresponding pattern guide-marks on a copyforming print or prints in any desired layout, all the rolls of a co-registering color series being preferably guide-marked simultaneously in order to avoid variation of the relative locations of the marks on the rolls and also to forestall as far as possible subsequent errors in the registration of the tissue print transfers and of the subsequently etched printing surfaces of the rolls.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a front end elevation;

Fig. 2 atop plan view, and

Fig. 3 a side elevation of my new machine.

Fig. i is a side elevation of one of the worms and of a worm gear which is temporarily fixed on the mandrel or shaft of each of the etchable rolls on which the machine performs its operations. This view shows the worm gear having its shaft-receiving central opening elongated and filled with a rectangular spline which engages both the shaft or mandrel and the body of the worm gear.

Fig. '5 is a sectional detail of what is shown in Fig. i at line 55 thereof Fig. 6 is an elevational view partly in section'at line 66 of Fig. 3and shows one of a series of bow-shaped brackets having a bearing for portions of the worm shaft of the machine intermediate the ends of the worm shaft.

Fig. 7 is a face view of an arbitrary but technical layout of copy-forming prints or pictures located on a paper mount which is adapted to be used on the front face of the pattern-carrier of the machine. This view Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 14, 1918.

Serial No. 151,188.

spaced apart and tied together by horizontal members 1 at the front of the frame and by a horizontal member 1 at the rear of the machine below the tops of the side frames 1. Near its front end each upstanding side frame carries an upwardly projecting post 2, the two posts :2 being in transverse alinement, and the frame construction on one side is provided with a. recess 3 which extends outwardly of the inward wall of the upstanding side frame 1 on that side of the machine. The front end portions of the upstanding side framesare shown with inward-extending horizontal portions 4:, and opposite the said recess 3, the other side frame is conveniently formed with an opposed recess 3, each recess being rearwardly of the frame portions 4 at the rear side of each of which there is fixed an upstanding lengthwise-grooved guide-plate 5 the grooves wherein are transversely opposed and receive the edges of a vertically adjustable pattern-carrier or board 6, the front margins of which are each provided with a ver- 1 tical rack 7. Each rack is in constant mesh with a gear 8, one on one end and the other on the other end of a horizontal shaft 9 in front of and spaced apart from the face of the board and mounted in upstanding bearings 10 carried by the upper front transverse member 1 of the frame. Said shaft 9 on one end is provided with a worm gear 11 above a horizontal worm shaft 12 the front end of which is provided with a hand wheel 13. This shaft is mounted in suitable bearings 14:, upstanding from and carried by va side frame, and the shaft is provided at intervals with worms 15 the front one of which meshes with the worm gear 11. With each of the worms 15 rearwardly of the front worm 15 there is in mesh a worm gear 16 that is temporarily fixed to the axis or mandrel 17 of a copper-surfaced roll 18 or other roll which is subsequently to be etched. By turning the hand-wheel 13 in the form of the machine shown, in clockwise direction, the pattern-carrier (5 is moved downwardly and each of the rolls 18 is rotated simultaneously with the downward movement of he pattern board and the distance of descent of the latter and the length of the are through which each of the rolls 18 is turned are always precisely equal and the dircc tion of such rotation of the rolls 18 is that defined by rearward movement of an upper peripheral are.

In the machine shown, four etchable rolls 18 are shown for use in four-color intaglio printing, but the number of rolls which may be guide-marked is variable from one to four in the form shown, and if it were desired to guide-mark more than four rolls, the machine could be adapted therefor by enlarge ment of some of its members. The corresponding end portions of the mandrels or shafts of the rolls 18 are severally provided with a lengthwise-extending keyway 19 and each worm gear 16 has its centershaft-re ceiving hole radially elongated and formed with rectangular walls in the elongated direction for reception of a key 20 having an integral feather 21 for the keyway 19 in the shaft or mandrel. By this construe ion it is feasible to mount the detachable worm gears 16 on the ends of the roll shafts after the rolls are placed in the machine. Each side frame is shown provided with a rearwardljprojecting bracket 22, the upper surface of which is alined with the top of a side frame and the rolls 18 with the mandrels or shafts can be readily placed on these brackets and moved along on the side frames until their shafts rest in half-round bearings or recesses therefor formed in the upper edges of the side frames. The intermediate bearings 1% for the worm shaft are bowed as shown in Fig. 6 to leave ample room for the wormgear-receiving ends of the roll mandrels or shafts which project outwardly beyond the wormgear-carrying side-frame, and each of these bowed or intermediate bearings has its upper member formed with a half-round bearing for the worm shaft which is capped by a hen ring block 23 held in place by clamp screws 2st. The ends of each roll mandrel or shaft l'l are. held in place by similar bearing caps which are clamped to the side frames by clamp bolts 26 after the rolls are in place. Such bearing caps are plainly shown in Fig. 2.

The forward posts 2, 2 each support near their upper ends a transverse traveler track 27 on which there is mounted a traveler 28. This traveler is a block formed with a transverse opening for passage therethrough of its track 27 and at its upper portion ith an interiorly threaded transverse hole for a horizontal feed screw 29 the ends of which are journaled in the tops of the f 'onl post 2. in end of the feed screw 29. which is preferably a quick-acting feed screw. is provided with a bevel gear 30 which meshes with a bevel gear 31 on the upper end of a vertical shaft 32, the lower end of which is provided with a bevel gear 32 (Fig. 3), the latter bevel gear meshing with a bevel gear 33 on a horizontal shaft 3% which, like the vertical shaft 32, is journaled in suitable bearings 35 carried by the machine frame. The front end of shaft 34 is adjacent the hand-wheel 13 and is provided with a handwheel 36. By turning this hand-wheel in either direction the traveler is moved laterally of the machine. and it is provided with an L-shaped bracket 37 one arm of which depends vertically and the other arm of which is horizontal and extends rearwardl at right-angles to the axis of all the rolls 18 and beyond the rearmost of the series. The lower horizontal arm of the bracket: 37 is always above the upper peripheries of the rolls 18 and at its front and rear ends it is respectively supported by transverse upstanding tracks 38 and 39 which are carried by the side frames. The rearard track 39 has its end portions bowed vertically similarly to the structure shown in Fig. 6 so as not to interfere with the putting in and taking out of the rolls 18, and their projecting shaft or mandrel ends. The under horizontal arm of the L-shaped bracket 37 carries an endwise-movable printing bar &1 for marking each roll 18. The lower end of the printing bar has a marker 40 which is a right-angular cross, the lateral arms of which are in a vertical plane through the axes of the rolls 18 and the crossing arms of which are at right-angles to such axes. Each printing bar L1 is square .in cross-section, and is endwise movable through a vertical cross-sectionally-square bearing for-med in the under arm of the bracket 37. The upper end portions of the printing bars pass through square holes in a horizontal bar 43 above the under arm of bracket 37. The opposite ends of the bar l3 are forked. Each printing bar 41 is provided with a fixed collar which abuts against the under side of the bar 43 and has a head 46 spaced apart. from the upper side of bar 43. A coil spring 47 is located between the upper side of the upper bar and the under side of each printing bar lead 4E6. Above and in line with the bar 13 there is a horizontal printing-bar-actuating bar 48 formed with a series of downwardly-proj ecting lugs -l-9 that severally rest on a printing-bar head 46. The bar 13 which is intermediate the printing-bar-actuating bar l8 and the under arm of the bracket 3'7 is vertically adjustable in order that the rollmarkers t0 may be used for guide-marking a series of rolls of either greater or lesser diameter than the rolls shown. The rolls of every series will always be of equal diameter. To provide for this adjustment, the rear end of the under arm of the bracket 37 is provided with an upstanding post 50 which has a verticalslot 51, and the rear end of the intermediate bar 43 is adjustably connected with the post 50 by a clamp bolt through the slot 51. The lower portion of the upstanding arm of bracket 87 is similarly slotted at 51 for reception of a clamp bolt 52 whereby the forward end of the inter mediate bar 13 is adjustably connected to the bracket. For actuation" of the print ing-bar-actuating bar 48 a downward movement of which depresses all the printing bars so that the markers 10 simultaneously act on the upper peripheries of the rolls 18, said printing-bar-actuating bar 48 is provided midway between its ends with an upstanding lug 53 that is connected to actuating members actuatable by a lever in front of the pattern-carrier. The front and rear ends of the printing-barc-actuating bar' l8 each moves up and down in a forked upper end portion of an upstanding post s8 carried by the intermediate bar 43. The upper end of lug 58 is loosely connected by a pin 5% passing through a slot 55 which extends lengthwise of a pivoted lever 56 that is pivoted at 57 in the upper end of an upstanding post 58 carried by the intermediate bar The front end of lever 56 is loosely pinned at 56 to the lower end of an upwardly and forwardly extending link 59 that is connected slidably to the lower end of a link 60. Link 59 is lengthwise slotted at its upper end at 61, and clamp screws 62 pass through this slot into the opposed link 60, the links 59 and forming an adjustable connection between the lever 56 and one arm of an upper bell-crank lever. The upper end of the link 60 is loosely pinned at 63 in a slot 64 in said bell-crank lever 65, the upper arm of which is loosely pinned at 66 to the rear end of a horizontal link 67 the front end of which is loosely pinned at 68 to the upper arm of a bell-crank lever 69, which together with the bell-crank is pivoted to the upper end of a U-shaped member carried by the traveler. The front end of bell-crank lever 69 projects forwardly of the forward downwardly-extending arm of this U-shaped member, such downwardly-extending arm being in front of the pattern-carrier. Said U- shaped member is indicated by 76. Its rear arm rises vertically from the traveler and its top passes over the upper edge of the pattern-carrier or board and its forward arm extends down to near the bottom of the pattern-carrier or board. The forwardlyprojecting lower arm of the bell-crank lever 69 is loosely jointed at 71 to the upper end of a downwardly-extending rod 72, the

' under end of which is loosely pinned at 73 to an actuating lever 7 at that is loosely pivoted by its rear end at 75 to the lower end portion of the front downwardly-projecting arm of the U-shaped member '76. The lever His readily accessible and by pulling it downwardly the rods, levers and pins which connect it with the lug 53 of the printingbar-actuating bar 4C8 cause the latter to depress all the printing bars simultaneously.

The lower end 77 of the front arm of the U-shaped member 76 carries a downwardlyextending sighting glass 7 8, the face of which is provided with a thereon-scratched right-angular cross 79, the laterals of the cross being parallel to. the axis of the rolls and also to the laterals of'the corresponding right-angular crosses on the print margins, and the verticals of the sighting cross 79 being parallel to the verticals of the rightangular pattern guide-marks on the print margins.

It is intended to make the right-angular pattern guide-marks 86 on the print margins, and the right-angular crosses of the type-bar markers 10 of the same dimensions. The intersection of the sighting cross 79 and of each of the series of roll guide-marking crosses 10 are in the same vertical plane.

Along one side of frame 1, parallel with those ends of the rolls to be marked that face that side of the machine, a lengthwiseextending rock-shaft 80 having a crank 81 is journaled. The rock shaft is provided with a rocker arm 82 for each roll to be marked, and each rocker arm 82 carries a straight knife 83 movable toward and away from a roll end in a path defined by a vertical plane through the axis of the roll. By rocking shaft 80, each knife 83 cuts or marks a straight line on a roll end in said plane, and such mark or line is useful in positioning the roll for printing in the printing press with reference to etched or non-etched surfaces of the printing roll.

The pattern carrier, in use, has secured to it by tacks or otherwise, the layout sheet 84 (Fig. 7 having attached to its outward sur face one or more photographically sensitized carbon tissue prints or other sheets 85 each of which is provided with appropriate guide-marks 86 here shown as usual at the four corner portions of each sheet. These guide marks are preferably right-angular crosses each being a vertical line and a horizontal crossing. The operator by turning the hand wheel 13 in one direction or the other, moves the pattern carrier up or down at will behind the sighting cross 79 until its intersection is observed to be in opposition to the intersection of a guidemark 86; or the operator moves the U-shaped member 76 crosswise of the pattern carrier by turning the hand wheel 36 to obtain register of said guidemarks. Whenever a proper register thereof is observed, the oporator actuates the handle 74 with the result that a printing bar impresses its printing surface 4.0 in the shape of a right-angle cross 87 on as many rolls 18 as are in place. The rolls 18 are rotated on any actuation of hand Wheel 13 a peripheral distance equal to the movements of the pattern-carrier obtained by the same actuation of the hand wheel. Consequently all guidemarks however carried on the pattern carrier can be repeated on the rolls at the same relative distances apart as appear on the copy; and the carbon tissue prints used in the layout sheet can be thereafter accurately placed according to the layout shown on the rolls preparatory to etching. In order to mark all the rolls alike with reference to the po sitions of the transferred prints, for certainty of properly positioning the rolls in a printing press, the operator finally turns the crank 81 to mark corresponding ends of all the rolls in place. The prints 85 may be located on the layout sheet according to suitable marks such as 87 thereon.

What I claim is:

1. The combination of a frame constructed to receive a plurality of parallel rolls to be guide-marked; mechanism for rocking them simultaneously through an arc of a circle; a movable flat pattern-carrier; and a movable roll-marking mechanism, said mechanism comprising means for rotating the rolls and moving the pattern carrier'simultaneously and corresponding distances.

2. The combination of a frame constructed to receive a roll to be marked; a movable pattern carrier; and a movable roll-marking mechanism; and mechanism under the control of the operator for rotating the roll and moving the pattern-carrier simultaneously and equal distances.

3. The combination of a frame constructed to receive a roll to be marked; a fiat movable pattern carrier; and a movable rollmarking mechanism comprising a rollmarking device at one side of the carrier and means at the other side of the carrier for actuating said device.

at. In a roll-marking machine, a rock shaft; a rocker arm on the shaft; a marker on the rocker arm; and bearings for a roll to be marked; said bearings and rocker being relatively disposed to permit the marker to form a mark on the roll end in a plane through the axis of the roll.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 24th day of February, 1917.

EDWARD S. BEACH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Yatents, Washington, D. G. 

